Dustguard for drag links and the like



Dec; 26, 1922.

1,439,883, J. A. GERMONPREZ.

DUSTGUARD FOR DRAG LINKS AND THE LIKE. men SEPT.29, I917.

Patented Dec. 26 1922.

JOHN A. onnlvronrnnajornnrnorr, MICHIGAN, assrslvoa 'ro orcHIcAGo,ILLINOIS.

- nine ta IJUSIGUARD roia DRAG LINKS AND run LIKE.

Application filed September as, 1917 serial No. 193,915.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. GERMN- rnnz, a citizen oif the UnitedStates, residing in Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State oflrlichigan, have invented anew and use- I ful Improvement in Dustguardsfor Drag Links and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This nvention relates the socket of aball and socket connection betweentwo members and has particular re'f-.

erence to the connection of this character provided between the draglink and the 31C".

tuating part therefor in an automobile steer-. ing gear although itwillbe manifest as the invention is better understood that .it has othervaluable applications. a

A principal object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter which will close the slot of a'ball and socket cone nectionand this without interferinginianya way withthe free universal action.

A still further object o-f'the invention is.

the'provisionof such device whichlrnay be assembled without requiringany change in the parts of the steering apparatus or other structure andwithout any of the parts being removed for the purpose, therebypermitting the positioning of the dust guard without necessitatingappreciable effort or read justment.

' Another object of the invention is the provision of such a guard whichwill be readily removable to permit access to the interior) portion ofthe connectlon. I Another ObJGCt of the invention is the provision of aguard to close the opening in the ball and socket connection, soconstructed and arranged that it may act to'restrain the leakage ofgrease or lubricant used in the connection. i r A still further objectof 'theinvention is the provision of a guard of this character whichwill be cheaply manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it isbetter understood from the following description when considered inconnection with the accom v panying drawing illustrating a preferredembodiment thereof.

On the drawing,

l igure 1 is a top plan view of the steers ing apparatus of an.automobile provided to a i bodying my presentinvention; in general todust or dirt guardsfor closing the openinginto illustratej'a particularuse for the embodiinent of the invention shown on the drawing;

Fig. 2 is anenlarged sideelevation of the end of the drag link;

Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the same, the

parts being broken away;v

Fig.4 is an elevation o-fthe RANK H. sranwoon,

guard exn- Figsnf and 6 are detail end views of the parts formingtheinelnber shown in Fig.4.;

F or the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown onthedrawing an automobile steering gearof standard construe 'tiontl1at is tosay, it has the ordinary steerf ingwheel'i located at the end of thestee ing postS which, through a worm gear (not shown),- actuates a wormgear 9 on ash-aft 10 carrying the steering arin llv connected .by auniversal joint aswill be more particularly-described hereinafter, to adrag link 12in turn connected through link 13 to the wheel axle. I Anend of, the] drag link is shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2, fromwhich it willbe observed that a socket ineinher 14 is engaged on the end15 of the drag link and this socket memberis hollow at its end remotefrom thelink 'a slot 16 being" provided inthe sideto receive the stud'or post 17 carrying a ball 18 which may be dis posed inwardly withrespect to saidfslotand f in the socket of said member. A heavy spring(not shown) bears against one side of said ball, and a screw plug 21against the other. The post 17 is provided, in accord-ance with theusual custom, with an integral outwardly extending collar 2-2 againstwhich rests the end of the arm 11 which is secured to the end ofthepost, a nut 23 being provided to holdthe same in place. -.Fl1e'slot 16is of generalcircular fo'rln much larger than the part of thepost" 17extendingflthrough it and extends up wardly at one side 19 to give agreater range of movement lengthwise or. axially of the drag link thanacross the link.

- So much of the structure may be of standard and well knownconstruction and I have provided a guardtoclose such opening withoutobstructing relative .moveme'nt of the a parts whlchinay be incorporatedin the presentstandard structures and this without requiring any changeor readjustment of the same. The embodiment-of my invention in thepresent instance consists of a two-dart member, preferably of sheetmetal, bent to cylindric form and capable'of being snapped over thecylindric body of the end of the link, an aperture 24.- being providedthrough which the post 17 may extend. The tWo parts differ little inconstruction, one 25 being preferably longer than the other and iavingan outwardly extending flange 26xat one curved edge, in which edge isprovided a semi-circular recess 27 -to partially fit about the post 17.The other part 28 is provided. with a channelQ'Qalong a curved edge andadapted to be snapped over the flange 26 of the part and in. theadjacent edge of this part a semi-circular recess 31 is formed.'VVhen'it is desired to assemble the parts, the part is merelysnappedabout the socket member, being ofsufiicient 'arcuate length to pass thecenter of said socket member so that when snapped in place it will beheld against displacement and at the same time. be freetomove with thepart 17. The other part QS is then similarly positioned, the channel 29-being forced down over the flange 26. When so arranged the swingingmovement of the post 17 lengthwise of the draglink is accompanied by anaxialmovement of the guard,'and angular movement ofthe post'with respectto the axis of the drag link is accompanied by like arcuate or angularmovement of the guard. The combined movements of the post result" in:similarly combined movements of the guard. The p'artscan beremove'd asoccasion may require by reversing the assembling operation and Withoutiinfastening any of'the steering gear parts.

The guardfurnishesa'means for restraining lubricant placed inthesocket"to facilitatethe ball action. The guard parts are preferablymade of strong thin springy steel materialwhich neednot be of excellentquality, the material used in making the body of an automobilehavingbeen found'to be adequate for the purpose,

It isthought'that the invention and many of its attendantadvantages'will be. understood'fromthe foregoing description, and it\vill'be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention are 1 ,ast ,sea

or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbeforedescribed being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The combination of a cylindric part having a ball receiving slot inits side, a ball part having a ball on its end and engaging in said,slotlto formaball and socket joint, and a slidable two-part metal memberembracing said cylindric part and joined together by interlockingengagement of their adjoining edges substantially throughout theirlength at said ball part.

2. The combination of a cylindric part having aball receiving slot inits side, a ballpart having a'ball on its end and engaging in said slotto form a ball and socket joint, and a two-part metal member embracingsaid cylindric part and joined by their adjoining edges at said ballpart SitlfitilClj'Ollllllg ed 'es being snapped into re lea-sableengagement substantially throughout theirlength, wherebythe parts ofsaid member are readily separable to pernntremoval of said member.

3. In an automobile steerin a aaratus the combination of a drag link, aball part connected therewith and two sheet metal -mobile' or the like,comprising two sheet metal parts adapted to be individually snappedabout the body of the drag link-in side, by side relation, the adjacentedges overlying and the outer holding the inner part inplace. Signed inthe press-me ortsvo s-idvsta'ibing witnesses.

" JOHN J\. (FH"YR=MUN Pii tl iy.

Witnesses:

HfP. FRY, M. L. BUSH.

